SOC4820: Senior Seminar in Criminal Justice: Home

Introduction

Welcome!

Chances are that you've already written a literature review in one of your other classes... most likely, your Research Methods course. Now that you're in your Senior Seminar, many of the necessary skills should be second nature.

Because the different sections of Senior Seminar have different themes, this guide will provide you with an overview of the research techniques you'll need to find articles and resources for your literature review.

If you get stuck or are having trouble finding useful information, feel free to contact me.

The Literature Review

Why Write a Literature Review?

A literature review is just what it sounds like...

A review of the literature that already exists on your topic of choice.

Conducting a literature review is an important part of any research project because it shows readers other, related research that has been done on the topic. It can also be an important step in narrowing your topic and writing and informed paper.

In order to conduct a thorough literature review, you should generally look at a variety of resources, rather than focusing on just one or two. These can often include books and encyclopedias, scholarly articles and sometimes Internet resources (ALWAYS check with your professor before using these, though).

This guide will walk you through the process of finding these types of information through the Library website, and provide you with some specific resources to consult.

Feel free to contact me with any questions you have, or to set up a time to meet one-on-one for help with your research.